Text Message Marketing: Benefits for Every Business

By Wendy Bridges

And now businesses are employing the same approach and sending business SMS not only to their customers but within their organisation too. Examples of businesses using text; your bank would text you confirming your balance, order groceries online and the supermarket texts you within seconds confirming your delivery slot or an ecommerce company would text you an authentication code for security purposes. The list goes on…

Why are so many organisations sending business SMS these days?

The answer is simple. Businesses need a reliable, secure, direct and quick way of communicating with their customers. Add to that, most people carry their phones with them everywhere. Many people even sleep with their phones.

Here’s how business SMS works:

News/updates: Important and time sensitive customer updates can be sent via SMS directly to your client list. People like to know the breaking news first. Send your customers updates about product launches, product updates or events. A text can be used for a micro-newsletter with bite-size updates.

Emergency notifications: A Text Message is an efficient way to quickly notify everyone in your group or team during an emergency. Send critical updates during any disaster situation or last minute event location changes.

Promotions: Travel agents, spas and hairdressers for example can use text message marketing by highlighting special offers and promotions, which can be tailored to individual preferences. Send a text message with a unique discount code for customers to redeem. The exclusive code creates incentive to stay on the list for future promotions.

Customer service: Many offer customer support and problem resolution via text. Customers are also able to check order status, track their packages and receive back order notification alerts.

Lead Generation: for example leisure centres worldwide are using mobile marketing to generate leads by sending business SMS detailing new membership promotions and offer updates on new classes and class cancellations.

Five killer SMS stats you can’t ignore

1. 75% of people would like to have offers sent to them via a text.

2. 66% of people subscribed to mobile marketing have made a purchase as a result of receiving a text message

3. SMS reminder can increase the attendance rate to an event by 45%!

4. A simple follow up text asking “have you read our email?” can help increase email open rates by 20%–30%.

5. It takes the average person 90 minutes to respond to email, but only 90 seconds to respond to a text message.

Adrian Harris, general manager at textanywhere, said: "With the ever-growing use of smartphones, brands would be unwise to overlook the role of SMS in a modern marketing strategy. Judging by the continued feedback from our customers, its clear; a simple text message is a very powerful and versatile tool for every business."

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